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<title>Love Story (A series of shoni flashbacks, Taylor Swift style) by The_Wilds_Musings (HarryJamesPeralta)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357859">Love Story (A series of shoni flashbacks, Taylor Swift style)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryJamesPeralta/pseuds/The_Wilds_Musings'>The_Wilds_Musings (HarryJamesPeralta)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Flashbacks, Shoni - Freeform, shelby and toni endgame, toni is adopted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:00:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryJamesPeralta/pseuds/The_Wilds_Musings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Love Story - AU.  Friends to lovers.  They all live in Texas, not sorry.</p>
<p>A series of shoni flashbacks.  Each verse of "Love Story" by Taylor Swift will be it's own chapter.</p>
<p>Some will be short, some long, rating may change.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. We were both young.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>We were both young when I first saw you.I close my eyes and the flashback starts: I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Age: 8</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shelby will always remember the first time that she laid eyes on Toni Shalifoe.It was her 8th birthday party and Toni had just moved from some town in Minnesota she couldn’t remember the name of, it had Hope in its name, but she just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.Standing on the upper deck of her family's home watching cars pull up made Shelby nervous, for no reason, they had invited everyone in her class because well, 1. It’d be rude not to.And 2. There was a new girl that none of them had met yet, but she was going to be here, her momma Bernice had responded yes when her teacher asked.</p>
<p>Looking down across the front lawn of her family home she spotted the girl she didn’t recognize from school.Bright colored shorts, a tank top, white shoes, dark hair that curled slightly.She was absolutely transfixed, needing to be friends with the new girl.It was always like this with new kids at school, everyone wanted to be their friend, but she was determined.Of course, everyone knew that the new girl Martha had a sister her same age, but she hadn’t been able to attend school the first week after arriving because she had chickenpox.</p>
<p>“Shelby baby, your guests are arrivin’ we should go downstairs,” her daddy spoke softly and kindly.Her daddy was her best friend in the entire world, he promised next year he’d teach her how to hunt for deer and she was so excited, not necessarily about hunting, but about spending that extra time with her daddy.</p>
<p>“Okay daddy,” she emulated the way her daddy spoke, soft, kind, warm.Her smile reached her eyes and she raced from upstairs to the downstairs to greet her party guests.“Welcome to my party Martha,” Shelby said excitedly greeting the other new girl, “this must be your sister, Toni, by golly you two don’t look much alike do you?” It spilled from her mouth before she thought that it might be rude.</p>
<p>“I’m adopted,” Toni’s voice was small like she was hiding behind something scarier than a new family.“Thank you for inviting me to your party.” She added and Shelby grinned excitedly. </p>
<p>“I’ll show ya’ll around and we can introduce Toni to our other classmates,” Shelby told Martha, she found herself slipping her hand into Toni’s and pulling her around introducing them to her other classmates.There was Leah, the shy girl who had really recently started to read a lot.Fatin, an outgoing bubbly girl with too much personality for her own taste.Nora and Rachel, twins who looked nothing alike and acted nothing a like either.Dorothy, whose daddy taught them how to play soccer last summer.Becca a girl from her church who was the grade behind them.Andrew, a boy she’d known since she could remember and also went to their same church.Mateo, the older brother of Luis.Then there was Marcus, whose family took extravagant vacations every summer and he bragged about them constantly.Then there was Nicholas whose family owned a ranch just outside of town and he always had a faint odor of cow manure on his shoes, but not in a bad way, just in a way that made you notice. </p>
<p>By the time that Shelby had drug her around to meet everyone in their class, Toni looked overwhelmed and exhausted.Shelby didn’t know it yet, but Toni had only been adopted three weeks ago, she was still shell shocked that her mom didn’t want her anymore and then the Blackburns, her new family, had up and moved to Texas without so much as a warning. </p>
<p>Her birthday party went as well as any 8-year-old’s party could go.There was cake, ice cream, and what was left of the warm summer air.They ate hamburgers off the grill and ran themselves ragged playing Tag, jumping in the bouncy castle her daddy had rented, and playing a rousing game of Simon Says where her daddy was Simon. </p>
<p>Slowly but surely all of the party guests had filed out except Toni and Martha, but Shelby’s dad realized that that was his mistake, he had told Mrs. Blackburn to pick them up at six and the party ended at five.</p>
<p>“Thank you for comin’ to my party,” Shelby had said contentedly. </p>
<p>“Thanks for inviting us,” Martha spoke for both of them, but the small smile on Toni’s lips and her enthusiastic nodding made Shelby smile.</p>
<p>“Will you be at school on Monday?” Shelby asked and Toni nodded again.</p>
<p>“Yes, my first day.”</p>
<p>“Well lucky you, you’ve already got a sister and a best friend,” Shelby told her with a smile and Toni’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“A best friend?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Blackburn came and picked up Toni and Martha shortly after, Toni gushing the whole way home about how nice Shelby was and Martha agreeing with her every word. </p>
<p>“Thank you so much baby for being nice to the new girl from Minnesota,” her daddy said to her when she was helping him put away the dishes from dinner.</p>
<p>“Daddy, I’ll always look out for others, just like our Lord tells us.” she beamed when he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.</p>
<p>“That’s right baby, you’ll follow in the Lord and make him so proud.”</p>
<p>“Forever and ever,” Shelby promised him her smile was bright and excited.“And Toni agreed to be my best friend,” Shelby added and her daddy faltered.</p>
<p>“Well, what about Becca?” He asked.</p>
<p>“Becca can be my best friend too daddy, nothin’ stoppin’ me from havin’ more than one.” And her daddy grinned at her.“That’s true baby, two best friends are better than one.Plus she’s new so she probably needs a few friends,” he added.He ruffled Shelby’s blonde hair lovingly.“Up to bed, you had a long day young lady.” He told her, she didn’t even put up a fight she was so tired so she climbed the stairs to her bedroom flinging the pile of pillows that made their way to her bed every morning to the floor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. and say, “Hello.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shelby looks back on her first big win in the pageant world.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns, See you make your way through the crowd, and say, “Hello.” Little did I know…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Age 11</em>
</p>
<p>Toni had been her best friend now for three years, yesterday she’d turned 11, but she didn’t have time for a party.  Today was the crowning of “Little Miss Texas” and everyone knew that Shelby was a shoo-in.  Her talent, singing, wow-ed every judge and she had traveled all across the great state of Texas with her family for the pageants.  Her daddy was so proud.  She had begged, no seriously, begged Toni to come to the pageant.  It was in Waco which was only half an hour drive and Mrs. Blackburn was already taking Martha, so they both knew Toni would be there anyway.  Toni had told her, promised her, she’d be there.</p>
<p>They had been through six titles before the title of Little Miss would be announced and finally the announcer called, “The title of Little Miss Texas…” he paused, a beat, two beats, slit the envelope open, opened the paper, it took forever.  His lips moved and Shelby had to focus intense to see what they were forming.  She didn’t hear him say “Shelby Goodkind.” She heard the applause, her daddy screaming “That’s my girl” her momma running up to hug her. </p>
<p>The afterparty was something else, honestly, all of the title winners stood at the front of the room with their trophies getting photographed from every angle until her cheeks burned from smiling and finally when the reporters left, she let her smile relax.  She spotted Martha, Toni, and Mrs. Blackburn in the distance and swallowing became difficult.  She did not understand yet, but seeing Toni dressed up for a fancy event had her nearly sweating.  Nearly every woman in the building was wearing a dress fancier than any Shelby had ever owned, they donned large expensive jewelry, their hair was tall and curled in a way that her momma said reminded her of the early nineties but was still in fashion in Waco.  Once she was allowed to ‘mingle’ she broke away from the group of winners, there were 10 titles in all ages ranging from ten up to twenty, this was only her second year in the more adult version of the pageant world. </p>
<p>Shelby was standing rooted firmly to the spot as she noticed Toni parting the crowd, her face, God her face was shining so brightly with a smile that could shatter Shelby’s world.  When she finally reached Shelby she spoke so softly Shelby could hardly hear her over the buzz of the crowd around them.</p>
<p>“Hello Shelby,”</p>
<p>“Hi Toni,” she couldn’t help how Southern she sounded sometimes, though Toni had picked up a slight accent since moving she noticed hers was much more pronounced. </p>
<p>“Congratulations on your big title,” Toni’s hands were stuffed into the pockets of her black dress pants, Mrs. Blackburn had let them pick out their own clothing and to Toni’s credit she looked incredible.  Black slacks, dress shoes, a solid, but of course brightly colored dress shirt buttoned up most of the way, but left open enough that Shelby could see she was wearing a delicate necklace, one she had given Toni for her 11<sup>th</sup> birthday last month.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she knew she was flushed, but she passed it off on how frickin hot it was in this event center.  Hundreds of people all dressed up fancy and throwin off so much body heat. </p>
<p>“What are you doing tonight?” her asking that had thrown you through a loop, you were probably doing the same thing you did after every pageant, eating a bowl of ice cream, the one time you could have ice cream per month according to your daddy.  He was obsessed with eating only healthy foods.</p>
<p>“Probably just hanging out with my family,” when Toni’s face falls slightly she feels guilty and doesn’t know why, “why?”</p>
<p>“Well, Mrs. Blackburn said me and Martha could have you over, if you wanted to have a sleepover,” Toni seemed nervous, but Shelby didn’t really know why, the brunette was rubbing the back of her neck in the anxious way she did before she had to read out loud, not that she was a bad reader, she just got anxious.</p>
<p>“I’ll ask my momma, cause you know daddy would say no,” Shelby slipped away eager to find her momma, preferably alone, her momma was always okay with her spending time with the Blackburns, Martha was the sweetest girl, and her family liked Toni, no, they loved her like another daughter, but her daddy was always leery to let her spend alone time with anyone other than family members.</p>
<p>It took her nearly half an hour to find her momma huddled up with some women from church, “Hi momma,” she broke in when their conversation lulled.  The moms all turned and congratulated Shelby on her big win, she smiled as big as she could and thanked them all before adding, “would it be alright if I had a sleepover with the Blackburns tonight?  Mrs. Blackburn invited me herself,” she added knowing her momma would ask.  She saw her momma thinking hard about it for a few moments before she nodded.  She nearly cheered.</p>
<p>“Sure baby, make sure you get your bag from the van so you have a change of clothes and let us know when you’re leaving.”  Shelby nodded so eagerly her hair almost came unclipped and she ran off in the opposite direction to find Toni, or Martha, or maybe even Mrs. Blackburn.  It was Martha she found first.</p>
<p>“Momma says I can sleep over tonight, what time are ya’ll leaving here?” she asked all in one breath and Martha grinned before hugging her tightly.</p>
<p>“Toni is going to be so excited!  We were planning to leave about one, that’s half an hour, is that okay?” Martha asked and Shelby nodded. </p>
<p>“I can meet ya’ll outside in half an hour, I have to get my daddy’s keys, and get my bag from the van before I can go.” Shelby told Martha, they slipped away from each other, Martha to tell Mrs. Blackburn and Toni and Shelby to find her daddy, explain momma said it was fine already, and get the keys to him and back to him in half an hour.  It only took her six minutes to find her daddy who was handing out business cards to some of the other pageant dads in a corner of the building.  He wasn’t exactly pleased that her momma had already said yes, but he wouldn’t defy her in front of the other dads. </p>
<p>“I’ll come out with you baby so you don’t have to find me again to give my keys back,” it made sense so they walked to the van together.  “You did so well today, we’re proud of you Shelbs,” he said, he said it softly and Shelby couldn’t help but to blush deeply.</p>
<p>“Thank you daddy,”</p>
<p>“You sure you want to spend the night with he Blackburns, we were going to go out for ice cream to celebrate,” his voice was teasing, but Shelby knew he was serious, not about the ice cream, but about asking if she was sure.</p>
<p>“Yeah daddy, I really want to spend some time with Martha and Toni.” She was firm in her answer and her daddy caved.</p>
<p>“Alright baby, we can celebrate when  you get home on Sunday.”  Their conversation was over, he unlocked the van, Shelby grabbed her things, and then they walked back to the building, by the time they got there the Blackburns, and Toni were standing just outside the door waiting for her.  It had only been twenty minutes, but they all looked ready to go.</p>
<p>“Thanks for having me Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn,” Shelby said as they approached, her daddy continued walking once he heard them respond.</p>
<p>“We’re always happy to welcome you Little Miss Shelby Goodkind, you don’t mind sharing the back with Toni do you?” they asked and she laughed, because no, she didn’t mind sharing the back with Toni, it was the same seating arrangement they had anytime it was all of them.  The Blackburns drove an old, somewhat worn Suburban, Shelby and Toni sat in the third row, flinging themselves over the middle row even though they could easily pull the seat forward and climb in like normal people.  Then Martha sat in the middle seat in the middle row, between her younger siblings who without her would definitely kill each other, then of course Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn took the front seat, Mrs. Blackburn always drove and Mr. Blackburn always controlled the music.</p>
<p>Sleeping over at the Blackburns was always fun, Toni had her own bedroom, Martha shared with her younger sister who was nine this year, and their younger brother slept in the smallest bedroom.  Toni almost always stayed in Toni’s room and not one of them had a problem with that.  Usually Toni and Martha and Shelby would stay up late watching movies and eating slices of pizza before falling asleep, except Martha had excused herself by nine-thirty because she was tired.  Mrs. Blackburn took her temperature afraid she was coming down with something, but it was normal so she just let her go to sleep.  By ten-fifteen the rest of the Blackburn household was asleep and her and Toni were still watching their second movie.  </p>
<p>She had long since changed out of her yellow gown, the Blackburns let her shower the hairspray from her hair and the makeup from her face, she had borrowed pajamas from Toni who wore the closest to her size and they sat on Toni’s bed side by side.  The third movie Toni put in was “John Tucker must die,” and even though they had seen it before Toni paid especially close attention and Shelby blushed deeply when Sofia Bush kissed Brittany Snow, but did not look away. </p>
<p>“Have you ever kissed anyone Shelby?” Toni asked and she sounded so scared and her voice was barely above a whisper.</p>
<p>“No,” she wasn’t sure if that was the right answer, but moments later Toni’s lips brushed hers so innocently and so softly she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming.  Their peck lasted less than a second before they both pulled away and Toni smiled.</p>
<p>“Now we both had our first kiss,” and she was content with that.  Though she’d not tell Toni how their lips brushing had sent a ball of butterflies through her and made her so nervous she didn't fall asleep until the light of morning was peeking through the blinds.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "Stay away from Juliet."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shelby's dad is more mad than he's ever been.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet.” And I was crying on the staircase Begging you, “Please don’t go.” And I said…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Age 15</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>It’s been four and a half years since Shelby won her first pageant trophy and she’s won numerous trophies, ribbons, sashes, and titles now.  It’s also been four and a half years since Toni’s lips brushed hers for the first, and only, time.  They never discussed it, Shelby isn’t even sure if Toni remembers it.  She doesn’t seem to get nervous or afraid around Shelby and so Shelby lets its slide and doesn’t bring I it up either.  They’re still best friends, there isn’t really a time when they aren’t together.  Most times they sleep at Toni’s house, but recently her daddy has been insistent that her friends sleep at her house, which she doesn’t mind, but they do have to watch movies that neither of them enjoy that much, eat salads, and sleep in the living room where anyone could come downstairs at any moment.  Not that people interrupting their sleepovers is something they’re really too concerned with, but it is annoying to not have a slice of pizza or pretzels during their movie nights. </p><p>Shelby begs Toni to come for a sleepover, alone, they’ve been hanging out a lot without Marty, not that they don’t love Marty, but sometimes Toni wants to spend alone time with her friends without her sister, and her sister doesn’t mind because she gets to go to Nora’s house to play word games with her super smart parents.  Shelby doesn’t know that Toni really doesn’t mind eating salads and skipping snacks if it means they get to hang out for longer.  Though Shelby pretends not to notice that Shelby acts differently at her house than she does at her own.</p><p>She hugs Shelby less, they don’t sit as close on the couch, they don’t even share blankets at night.  She pretends it doesn’t hurt her feelings when Toni and her sleep head to foot on the couch instead of face to face to cuddle, and she pretends not to notice the looks her daddy gives them when they sit an inch to close on the couch and she feels Toni scoot away from her.  Her daddy is obsessed with hanging out with them, they barely get a moment of alone time.  He watches movies with them, makes sure they’re paying attention by asking too many questions after them.  He excuses himself to bed when they’re already half asleep and he wakes them up at six thirty for breakfast before sending Toni home by eight. </p><p>The second time Toni kisses her gives her more butterflies than the first.  They’re in Toni’s bed like they are every third weekend, when her momma bullies daddy into letting her go to Toni’s instead of forcing Toni to come to her house.  Martha is sleeping at Nora’s house again and Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn took the younger kids to a water park for the day, but they’d be back before dinner time.  It’s only noon time and Toni brings it up so softly, whispering, “Do you remember our first kiss?” Shelby’s stomach erupts in butterflies and nerves, she can hear her own heartbeat in her ears and can’t focus, she nods unable to form words.  “I’m sorry that I did that.”  Shelby is confused and admittedly hurt.  “I didn’t ask if I could first, and I guess learning about consent this year has made me feel guilty about it.” Toni adds and Shelby understands why she’s so upset about it.</p><p>“I didn’t mind Toni,” Shelby’s words slip from her mouth without another thought and she curses herself until Toni speaks again.</p><p>“Can I kiss you?” They’re alone, in Toni’s house, in Toni’s bed, and she’s asking for permission, Shelby’s heartbeat washes out any other words that Toni might have said and she nods.</p><p>Toni’s lips brush hers for the second time in their lives, it starts out as innocent as their first kiss, their lips pressed together gently both girls unmoving not really sure how to proceed.  Shelby pulls back first, she notices Toni’s eyes are pressed closed tightly and she smiles before pressing a light kiss against Toni’s lips, she moves to make it more comfortable and then they’re both participating.  Their lips move against one another’s for several minutes before Toni pulls away.  She’s blushing and Shelby knows she is too.</p><p>“I like you, Shelby,”</p><p>“I like you too Toni,”</p><p>“No Shelby,” Toni trails off and Shelby can see her eyes searching hers, wild, terrified, frantic.  “I <em>like</em> you.”</p><p>“Oh,” Shelby can’t manage much more, she doesn’t know how to respond at all.  She <em>likes</em> Toni too, but she knows nothing can happen, not with her daddy bein who he is. </p><p>“Maybe you should go,” Toni tells her and Shelby nods, she calls her momma for a ride and they don’t talk for six weeks, not about the kiss, not about their feelings, not about her daddy or momma, not about Martha.  They avoid each other like the plague.  Her daddy seems happy that she’s hanging out with Fatin more.</p><p>Its midnight and Shelby wakes to a light, repetitive <em>*tink*</em> on her window and she looks outside seeing Toni, bicycle thrown in the lawn, wearing long sleeves and pants because by God, it’s November and it isn’t hot out anymore.  She wrenches her window open and Toni gestures to her phone.</p><p>
  <strong>Toni: Can we talk?</strong>
</p><p>Shelby was afraid to talk, she nods to Toni and slides down the trellis outside of her bedroom window as she’d done a hundred times.  “I’m sorry,” Toni told her, her eyes were still as frantic as they were the day that she had told Shelby she liked her.</p><p>“Toni, no” Shelby’s breathing was unsteady, uneven, her eyes brimming with tears, Toni stops talking and looks at Shelby, really looks at her, she can feel the girl’s eyes boring into her and her breath catches as she swallows a sob.  “I <em>like</em> you too.” Is all she can manage to say and Toni has pulled her into a bruising kiss.  Unfortunately for both of them her daddy catches them, in the front yard, kissing.  At first he says nothing. </p><p>Then he yells at Toni to, “Go home, and leave Shelby alone.” And when she picks up her bike and pedals away he doesn’t even yell at Shelby.  He just tells her, “I’m so disappointed in you,” and she sits on the front porch crying for thirty minutes after he goes inside.  Its nearly one fifteen when she finally goes inside and he’s sitting at the kitchen table sullenly with her mother.  Neither of them say anything to her as she slinks up the stairs to her bedroom.  A text from Toni shines brightly on her screen when she returns to her bedroom.</p><p>
  <strong>Toni: are you ok?</strong>
</p><p>And she doesn’t have it in her heart to respond, no, so she doesn’t respond at all, because no she isn’t okay.  Her daddy isn’t the same man he was when she was a child.  She truly feared him and her momma did too.  She hears them talking outside of her bedroom and when they come in they confiscate her cell phone and her laptop. </p><p>School the next day was more than awkward.  Toni tries to talk to her three times in three different classes, but she can’t lift her head to look at Toni, it hurts too much.  She spends most of the day crying in the bathroom until her fifth period teacher sends Dot to come looking for her. </p><p>“Listen Shelby, I don’t know what happened between you and Toni, but she’s a fucking wreck,” Dot tells her and it makes her cry even harder.  “Okay,” Dot adds guiltily, “You’re more of a wreck than she is.”  Dot brings her to the nurses office and the nurse takes pity on her and lets her lie down in the office until the end of the school day.</p><p>Toni corners Shelby outside of the nurses office before she has to walk home and she is torn up, her face is red, her eyes frantic.  She whispers that she’s sorry and they hug tightly in the hallway. </p><p>“This isn’t your fault Toni,” Shelby manages to respond, and they sit outside of the school for half an hour until Toni tells her she ahs to go to basketball practice and Shelby whispers frantically.</p><p>“Please don’t go, Toni, I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you again,” and so Toni skips basketball practice, and she skips cheer practice.  They intertwine their fingers as they sit outside and Mrs. Blackburn pulls up first, Toni’s practice ends earlier than Shelby’s and Mrs. Blackburn offers her a ride home she accepts without thinking. </p><p>When they pull up to the house Shelby clambers out of the suburban and her daddy is on her before she can say anything, he’s asking Mrs. Blackburn if they can talk and the two of them disappear into the house together.  When they come out twenty minutes later Mrs. Blackburn looks angry, angrier than Shelby has ever seen her.  She hugs Shelby tightly and whispers to her that if she needs somewhere to stay to let her know.  Shelby doesn’t respond, just lets the woman hug her before her daddy drags her inside. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Toni turns 18 and Shelby sneaks over for her party.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.  I’ll be waiting.  All there’s left to do is run.  You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.  It’s a love story. Baby, just say ‘yes’.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Age 18</em>
</p>
<p>Shelby has become a master of deception thanks to her daddy.  She and Toni haven’t stopped being friends at all, but Shelby has Fatin lie for her frequently, she and Toni don’t text.  She has a secret app folder that is so hidden it isn’t even funny.  The secret folder if you click on it opens the camera, and doesn’t open the folder unless you put in just the right combination on the “Pro mode” an aperture, shutter speed, and iso that she set. Once that folder opens she opens a texting app where the only person she texts is Toni.  They haven’t kissed again, but they both know that they <em>like</em> each other, they talk about it all the time, but they always say they won’t chance it until they’re eighteen.  Her texts with Toni had turned to flirting nearly a year before and sometimes they went overboard but Shelby didn’t mind. </p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I wish we could run away together</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: we can, this is our senior year, once we leave here no one can stop us.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: You’re as charming as a prince ;)</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: You’re just saying that princess ;) </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Only for you babe.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: You don’t get to call me babe until you break up with Andrew. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I know, I’m sorry.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I don’t even know why’re you’re dating, it’s not like you’ll let him kiss you, or touch you, or interact with you.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: You know I date him so my daddy doesn’t suspect.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: With all due respect Shelbs, Fuck your dad.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Toni…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I’m serious Shelby, you know what he said to Mrs. Blackburn about me.</strong>
</p>
<p>Shelby remembers Toni telling her through wracked sobs in the locker room after her cheer practice what her daddy had said to Mrs. Blackburn.  She knows her daddy meant it, she needs out, but she loves him.  He’s her daddy.  The same man who carried her on his shoulders through the Christmas parade for church, the same man who taught her how to kick a soccer ball, and even the same man that showed her how to gut a deer in the forest.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I know, Toni.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I know you think he’s going to change his mind Shelbs…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I know he won’t Toni.</strong>
</p>
<p>She turns off her phone.  She can’t think about Toni right now, or her dad.  Any of it.  When she turns on her phone six later she has seven texts from Toni.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I’m sorry Shelbs.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Fuck, I really am sorry.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I can’t fucking wait until I’m 18.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: College can’t come fast enough.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I love you Shelby.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Shelby…I really am sorry.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I’m going to bed, I really am sorry.</strong>
</p>
<p>The last text she had just received five minutes before so she calls Toni and they talk for an hour, softly so her parents can’t hear her, she whispers under her breath that she loves Toni when they hang up.</p>
<p>A week later at school Toni and Andrew get in a fist fight and Shelby’s dad tells her that he’s glad she isn’t friends with Toni anymore and her heart clenches painfully in the lie she tells him when she says. “Me too daddy.”</p>
<p>She texts Toni from her secret texting app all night.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: You turn 18 next week Toni.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I wish you’d come to my party.  You know the Blackburns except Martha are going out of town.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: If I convince daddy I’m staying at Fatins I’ll be there.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Try for me?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Always.</strong>
</p>
<p>She convinces her daddy that she’s staying at Fatin’s and Fatin and her parents both back her up.  Fatin comes with her to Toni’s party, it’s small, but a rager.  All of their friends are there, they’re pretty tipsy when Fatin suggests they play Truth or Dare.  Their friends aren’t in the know about her and Toni’s secret relationship where their flirtatious text messages turn dirty and even though they haven’t kissed again since being caught they tell each other how much they can’t wait to run away together.  Truth or Dare with their group is mild, except for the part where Toni is dared to kiss every girl because she’s the only openly gay one in their group and Shelby looks away because she doesn’t want to get jealous.  Rachel takes this as Shelby being ashamed and they get into an argument.  To shut her up she dares Toni to kiss her and they kiss for the fourth time. </p>
<p>Toni kisses her hard, frantically, her hands pull at Toni’s jaw and their tongues meet for the firsts time fueled by anger and alcohol.  Shelby pulls away breathing hard and everyone shuts up.  No one really says anything, but Shelby knows that she had moaned, out loud, into Toni’s mouth and none of them had ever even seen her kiss Andrew, because she hadn’t, despite them dating for over a year already.    She’s flushed, she convinces herself from embarrassment, but if she’s being honest it’s arousal and Toni knows it.  She winks at Shelby and they go back to truth or dare.  The other girls filtered out of the house about midnight and her sleeping the night at Fatin’s was obviously a ruse. </p>
<p>“Take me to your room so we can be alone,” Shelby whispers against Toni’s ear, because they haven’t been alone together in months and because she wants to kiss Toni again, but when they get to Toni’s room nothing happens because Toni isn’t as drunk as Shelby, not that she doesn’t want to, because she does, but they talk.  All night Shelby promises her they’ll run away as soon as graduation hits.  They’re both eighteen and they can do whatever it is they like.  Just two months until school is finished.  They laid in bed until nine in the morning when Fatin rolled up to pick up Shelby and drop her off at her parents house and Shelby slips back inside her parents waving goodbye to Fatin merrily.</p>
<p>“Have a good time at Fatin’s house?” her daddy asked her and she nods, she doesn’t trust her voice to continue the lie.  “You look tired baby, maybe you should go sleep and come to the afternoon service?”</p>
<p>“Sure daddy,” she whispers and she slinks off to her room to sleep off the worst hangover she’s ever had.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I really wanted to fuck you last night</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: You  were way too drunk, sorry.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: We’re both old enough to make that decision.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: I don’t make it a habbit to sleep with drunk girls.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: No, just Reagan</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Regan and I broke up two years ago Shelby.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: It was a mistake that I’ll never make again, drunk doesn’t mean yes.  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I practically begged.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Next time you want to seduce me, do it sober and I’ll be there.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Come over.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: With your dad?  No thanks.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Please?  I’ll sneak outside to hang out with you.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Sorry Shelby, I can’t.  Bernice just got home and I have chores to do.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: Fuck me.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: As I said, next time (;</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shelby: I’m going to send you pics.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Toni: Feel free, I still have to do chores</strong>
</p>
<p>Shelby tosses her phone aside, frustrated.  Not just that she and Toni’s relationship still hadn’t progressed, but also that Toni didn’t really seem to want her that bad.</p>
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